Pickpocket-detector



s. w. RUGGLES. I

Burglar Alarm.

No. 15,440. Patented July 29, 1856.

'U'ITED STATES A'TT S. W. RUGGLES, OF FITCHBURG, MASSACHUSETTS. v

PICKPOCKET-DETECTOR.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, S. W. RUceLEs, of Fitchburg, in the county of Worcester and State of Massachusetts, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement on Alarm- Detectors, which I term a Pickpocket-Detector; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the annexed drawings, making a part of this specification, in which- Figure 1, is an internal view of my improvement, the case being bisected, as indicated by the line Fig. 2. Fig. 2, is a transverse section of the case and bell, the plane of section being through the center.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the two figures.

My invention has reference to that description of pocket or portable alarm detectors in which a spring wheel or barrel, having teeth or projections on it or connected with it, is employed to operate the hammer of a bell and in which the alarm is started and actuated by pull on a string or chain attached to the detector.

To enable those skilled in the art to fully understand and construct my invention, I will proceed to describe it.

A, represents a case, which may be con structed similar to a watch case, and about the same size. Within the case A, there is placed upon an axis (a) a wheel B, having teeth or projections (Z2) on one side, and a coil sprin (0) is attached to the wheel B, and axis a), the axis being stationary and the wheel B, turning upon it.

0, represents a hammer, which is attached to a tongue or shank (at), said tongue or shank being connected to a bar (6) which is fitted and works on a pin (f). This bar (6) has an arm (g) attached to it, against which the teeth or projections (b) on the wheel B, act. To the periphery of the wheel B, there is attached a cord D, which passes through the side of the case A, and has a hook E, attached. To the shank a spring (h) is connected.

A represents a bell, which is attached to one side of the case.

The implement or device is placed in the fob, or in the vest pocket, and has a chain attached to the hook E, the device being worn similar to a Watch. A pick pocket in pulling the chain to extract the supposed Watch from the pocket, will turn the wheel B, and the teeth or projections (b) on the said wheel will actuate or draw back the hammer C, and the bell will be sounded, the spring throwing the hammer against the bell, and the alarm will consequently be given.

The above device may be worn by police officers in disguise, in order to arrest pick pockets, and as the parts of the device are extremely simple, and may be made quite portable, it may be attached to pocketbooks, watches, etc., and worn without inconvenience by any person, so that a watch or pocket book could not be extracted from the pocketwithout notice or warning being given the wearer. In fact it may be applied in various ways advantageously, to doors, drawers, or tills, etc.

In this arrangement it will be observed that the entire detector, or instrument proper, is suspended by the cord (D) from or through the spring barrel or wheel (B) in independent relationship as it were to the case (A) in such manner that while, on pulling the cord to extract the supposed watch, a sufficient resistance is offered by the action of the spring barrel (B) to induce a continuance of the pull till the alarm is frequently sounded under the impression, by the drawing out of the cord and resistance felt by the winding of the spring on the barrel, that the instrument is being extracted; the instrument is in reality not being disturbed from its place of de posit or rest, the spring (0) only being of the requisite strength to draw in the cord when free and in no wise being used to turn the barrel (B) tosound the alarm but, in addition to the effect above described of producing an illusive resistance, serving to draw in the cord and restore immediately the instrument to its primitive or original condition, after one pull has been made, to

meet another pull should the alarm on the g previous attempt not have been heard or for cretain reasons not have been noticed to induce a repetition of the attempt more favorable to conviction. I do not claim as new in alarm detectors, starting or operating the alarm by pulling or drawing on a cord or its equivalent connected therewith; nor yet as new in such devices, of itself, the mechanism, here employed, of a spring barrel provided with teeth and in its rotation operating the spring hammer of a bell to give a repeated alarm. hammer by said barrel in relation to the 16 But case, and for the purposes specified.

What I do claim, and desire to secure by In testimony whereof, I have hereunto Legters Pcaitent, is: 1 d subscribed my name.

5 uspen in the a arm etector 0r instrument proper, including the case (A) and its SOLOMON RUGGLES' Working parts, by the cord or chain (D) Witnesses: from or through the spring barrel (B), for JAMES V. LEVERETT,

alternate operation of the cord and bell W. J. MERRIAM. 

